The Last Ten Minutes of "Chef's Story"
Monday, May 14, 2007 | posted by Mike
Usually, I like to devote a lot of time to any reviews that I write, giving the programs the serious thought and contemplation that they deserve. This is not one of those times.
You all know that we recently moved into the new TVFF HQ. Of course, there is no shortage of work to be done on the new facilities (mastering my circular saw technique on shelves and hanging bathroom hardware, in case you were wondering how I spent my weekend). So this has meant that TV viewing time has been at a premium. But I do watch when I can, as it's a nice rest from the seemingly endless amount of work that needs to be done.
And for some odd reason, when I do manage to get a few minutes during a Saturday or Sunday afternoon, I keep managing to drop in on the last ten minutes of episodes of Chef's Story on my local PBS station (supported by viewers like you!). I mentioned this program a while back, at which time I jokingly called Inside the Chef's Studio for its seeming likeness to the the Bravo program Inside the Actor's Studio.
What I have caught of the actual interviews between host Dorothy Hamilton and the three chef's I've seen (Bastianich, Bourdain and Flay) has certainly been reminiscent of the interplay between Actor's host James Lipton and his thespian guests, although without all of the gushing and effusive praise. But, just as you get ready for the "Bernard Pivot Questionnaire" and Q&A on Chef's Story, they instead take you into the kitchen.
Cool, right? Well...
It's certainly great to see the chefs in their element. It's a straightforward preparation of a dish and each of the ones I've seen do a pretty good job of walking the viewer through it. Of course, they all have considerable TV experience, so their effectiveness is no surprise. Bourdain goes through duck confit, and just barely disguises his belief that a trained chimp could make the dish. He gets a good response from the crowd of culinary students when he explains that he wouldn't use his own knives to take the ends off of the leg bones.
But the problem is that Bourdain's audience response is the exception rather than the norm in these pieces. It's not a masterclass in the sense that people are calling out questions or asking to have techniques demonstrated more explicitly. There's just no give-and-take with the students and it feels like a big missed opportunity.
Ahhh....of course, you can order the DVD of the episode, which does include all of the extra goodies (including, I believe, a full Q&A). Since this is a PBS show, and we know how much it's costing you to watch it, we won't begrudge them trying to make a buck or two. But giving a little more to the viewing audience would have been nice.
Anyone else watching this more regularly than me? Love it?/Like it?/Hate it? Let us know!
Labels: Chef's Story
Chef's Story: First Review is Up
Monday, February 12, 2007 | posted by Mike
A long while back, we had a preview of a new food show coming to PBS in the spring. Chef's Story, which will debut in April, is "a 26-part television program modeled after Inside the Actor's Studio" and will include probing questions of today's top chefs in an attempt find out what makes them tick and how they got to be the successes that they are today.
It's been more than six months since that report and word is now starting to trickle in about the show. This is not surprising, considering it will be debuting in about two months.
We thought: We like food and we like Inside the Actor's Studio, so this should be pretty good, right?
Well, J.M. Hirsch has an syndicated review of the show up and it's pretty much like you would expect, Inside plus food minus James Lipton. And he kind of likes it.
Copies of two episodes were circulated to the press (but not, ahem, TVFF...producers can reach me at mike@tvfoodfan.com), one of which features Food Network celebrity Bobby Flay.
Despite my skepticism, I found myself drawn to the program. It was genuinely interesting to hear Flay tell his nothing-to-something tale and discuss his philosophy of food - "If you like bland food, you can't eat at my restaurants."
And because Flay was one of the Food Network's early stars, he offered some humorous stories about the network's somewhat creaky start, including the time he had to shoot 42 half-hour episodes in about a week.
Hirsch does point out one of the issues with host Dorothy Hamilton, which seems to echo similar complaints about thesp-o-phile James Lipton.
Hamilton obviously is well-versed in her subject matter (she also has food writer Peter Kaminsky fielding so-called pre-interviews), and her clout in the food world no doubt helps pull in some of the bigger guests.But at times she verges on starry-eyed; and there is the occasional urge to shake her and beg her to ask something a bit deeper than which dish Flay regards most fondly.
Again, Chef's Story will premiere in April on PBS, which means that you're on your own trying to figure out when it will be airing in your neck of the woods.
Labels: Chef's Story
Inside the Chef's Kitchen
Thursday, July 20, 2006 | posted by Mike
This looks pretty good. A press release went out today from The French Culinary Institute which said that they are in post-production for "Chef's Story," a 26-part television program modeled after Inside the Actor's Studio which will include in-depth interviews with prominent chefs. Included in the list of interviewees were a number of TV food personalities, including Lidia Bastianich, Rick Bayless, Anthony Bourdain, Cat Cora, Bobby Flay and Jacques Pepin. The interviews will be conducted by Dorothy Hamilton, FCI Founder and Chairman of the Board of The James Beard Foundation. No word if she'll be doing a Will Ferrell-quality James Lipton impression. "Your tuna tartare was deliiiightful!"
The show, which will air on PBS, will be accompanied by "exclusive downloads, podcasts, extras-saturated DVDs, and a heavily-illustrated companion book to excite future chefs and American 'foodies' of all generations."
I'm not sure if this show was offered to the Food Network, but it got me thinking that they could use a "serious" show like this. Even the shows that feature chefs who can really convey their passion for cooking (Mario comes to mind first) require them to tell their stories in short segments, while sauteeing or chopping.
Shows can be interesting without the action going a mile a minute. I think the Food Network could use what "Chef's Story" would offer: a tasty serving of vegetables.
Labels: Chef's Story
